Game devices



1951 R. J.. CALABRESE 2,957,714

GAME DEVICES Filed Oct. 2, 195a BY v myJ

GAME DEVICES Rosario Joseph Calabrese, 1118 Warren St., New Milford, NJ.

Filed Oct. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 764,904

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-130).

The present invention relates to a game device and more particularly toa device for playing ticktacktoe or other games.

Ticktacktoe is a very popular game that is played by two persons usingpencils and a blank sheet of paper. To start a game one of the playersfirst marks lines on a portion of the paper sheet to form nine squareswhich constitutes the game board. Each player uses one of the charactersX and O and the players alternately apply their character to one of thesquares until three of the same characters occur in a straight line orall of the squares are filled without three of the same charactersoccurring in a line. The player who so marks three of the squares withhis character in a line is the winner, but a tie game results when allof the spaces are marked without three of the same characters occurringin a line. After a game has been completed, the paper is again marked01f to form nine more squares constituting a new game board to startanother game. After a short period of time a sheet of paper will havebeen covered with the marked areas of different games which may beplayed quickly so that another sheet of paper must be used. 7

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a game devicewhich facilitates playing ticktacktoe or other similar games andeliminates the necessity of marking a game board outline each time agame is to be played.

Another object is to provide a game device of the type indicated whichis adapted to be conveniently carried in the pocket and may be played bymerely turning elements having the characters marked thereon.

Another object is to provide a game device of the type indicated inwhich spherical playing elements project through openings in a playingsurface which adapts them to be turned in any direction and frictionallyholds them in any position to which they are turned.

Still another object is toprovide a game device of the type indicatedwhich is of a simple, compact and lightweight construction, adapted foreconomical manufacture and reliable in operation.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the followingdescription and drawing in which like reference characters denote likeparts throughout the several views. It is to be expressly understood,however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only andnot a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had forthis purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game device incorporating the novelfeatures of the present invention and showing the spherical playingelements projecting through and exposing characters in circular openingsin a box-like casing;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1 toshow the spaced relationship of the top and a separate cover plate 11marked with 1ines..12 and 13 to form the squares 14 and havingthehol'es-15,

spherical balls in the box-like casing and the three different positionsto which the balls may be turned;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the balls showing the charactersapplied alternately in a line around the periphery of the ball; a

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a ball of hollow constructionshowing the characters etched in the surface of the ball;

Figure 5 is an extended perspective view of the parts of the game deviceto show how the parts are assembled to form the game device of thepresent invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one corner of the game device showingthe cover portion of Figure 5 attached to the upright walls of the lowportion of the box-like casing by heat sealing it thereto; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 and showing a modifiedconstruction in which each individual ball is seated in a sphericalrecess in the bottom wall of the casing and projects through a circularopening in the cover.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a gamedevice for playing tick tack toe. The illustrated embodiment comprises abox-like casing 10 having a top plate 11 marked oil by spaced pairs ofright angular crossing lines 12 and 13 to provide a permanent horizontalgame board divided into nine spaces or squares 14. Each square has anopening 15 located centrally thereof and in the illustrated embodimentthe openings are of .circular form. The playing elements are in the formof spherical balls 16 positioned in the box-like casing 10 withone ballprojecting through and exposed in each opening 15. Thus, a ball 16 ispro-. vided for each of the squares 14 between the cross lines 12 and13. Each ball 16 has a series of 0 characters 17, X characters 18 andblank spaces 19 arranged in spaced relation on its periphery. The balls16 are adapted to be turned in the box-like casing 10 to selec-. tivelyexpose either an 0 character 17, X character ls or a blank space 19 inany of the circular openings 15.

As shown in Figure 2, the spherical playing elements or balls 16 arepositioned between the top plate 11 and a bottom plate 20 of thebox-like casing 10 which are arranged in generally parallelrelationship. Thus, a portion of each ball 16 projects through anopening 15, Preferably, the spacing between the plates 11 and 20 is suchas to lightly engage the edges 21 of the opening 15 with the surface ofthe balls to frictionally hold them in spaced relation while permittingeach one to be individually moved to its diiferent positions. The balls16 may be of solid construction, as shown in Figure 3 or may be of ahollow spherical construction, as illustrated in Figure 4. In eithercase the O characters-17 and X characters 18 are arranged in spacedrelation in a line around the periphery of the ball 16 to provide blankspaces 19 at opposite sides of the line. The Q characters 17 and Xcharacters 18 may be applied to the surface of the ball 16 as byprinting them thereon or attaching them thereto, as illustrated inFigure 3; or the characters 17 and 18 may be etched in the surface.

of the ball as indicated at 22 in Figure 4. Preferably,

the balls 16 are made hollow,'as illustrated in Figure4,

of a thin plastic material with the characters etched in,

the surface.

prise the lower box-like casing part 23 having an opening formedtherein. The lower box-like casing part 23 has the bottom wall 20 and aperipheral wall 24 projecting upwardly from its sides. As shown inFigure 5, the nine balls 16 are first placed in the lower box-likecasing 23. The cover 11 is then lowered onto the top of the lowerbox-like casing 23 so that the peripheral edge 25 of the plate overliesthe upper edge of the peripheral wall 24. When the cover 11 is soassembled on the lower box 23, each of the circular openings 15 overliesone of the balls 16 which projects therethrough. As stated above, thedimensions of the parts are such that the balls 16 lightly engage theperipheral edge 21 of the circular openings 15 to hold the balls spacedfrom each other and prevent free movement while permitting them to beturned manually in the openings. The peripheral edge 25 of the upperplate 11 is then attached to the upper edge 26 of the wall 24 of thelower part 23 in any suitable manner.

While the parts 11 and 23 of the box-like casing may be composed of anysuitable material, they are preferably made of a thermo-sealing plastic,such as polyethylene. The plastic material may be opaque or transparentso that the position the O and X characters 17 and 18 may be observedwithin the box-like casing 10. The parts 11 and 23 may be molded orstamped to the form illustrated in Figure 5. After the cover plate 11has been applied to the lower portion 23 of the casing the overlyingperipheral edges 25 and 26 are sealed to each other bythe application ofheat, as illustrated at 27 in Figure 6. When the cover plate 11 issealed to the lower box-like casing part 10, the balls 16 are heldbetween the spaced generally parallel plates 11 and 12 with a portionprojecting through the circular openings 15. Thus, each ball has a pointcontact with the bottom wall 20 and a line contact with the edge 21 ofthe circular opening which holds the balls in position while permittingmovement therein.

A modified construction is illustrated in Figure 7 in which the bottomwall of the box-like casing 10 has a series of spherical segments 30molded or stamped therein in alignment with the circular openings 15 inthe upper cover plate 11. With this construction each ball 16 has asubstantial contact with the bottom plate 24 in the spherical segment 30to further insure alignment with its circular opening 15 and providing abearing surface on which the ball can turn in alignment with thecircular opening. A game device incorporating the present invention andseveral modified constructions having now been described in detail, themode of operation of the device is now explained.

To start a game of tick tack toe, each of the nine balls 16 is turnedlaterally or from the left or right of the line of characters 17 and 18,see Figure 3, to position a blank space 19 in each circular opening 15.This position of the balls 16 is illustrated in the right hand ball inFigure 2 as distinguished from the other two balls illustrated therein.The first player then turns a ball 16 which he chooses to bring the lineto characters 17 and 18 into alignment with the circular opening 15 andposition his selected character 17 or 18 into view in the opening. Theother player then selects the ball which he chooses to turn to bring hischaracter into view in the circular opening 15 of a particular square11. The players then alternately turn selected balls 16 until one of theplayers has won by exposing three of his characters or until all of thespaces 14 have been exposed without three of the same characters beingin line which results in a tie.

By using spherical playing elements, the game device may be made with aminimum number of parts which may be easily and quickly assembled bymerely bringing the parts together and heat sealing the cover to thelower casing part. Due to the mounting of the balls 16 in the box-likecasing 10, each may be easily turned by merely moving the thumb acrossthe exposed part which causes the ball to turn. Furthermore, due to thespherical form of the playing elements 16 they may be turned in threeright angular directions to easily and quickly move a desired characterinto position in the opening 15 which is thereafter frictionally held inits selected position.

It will now be observed that the present invention provides a gamedevice for playing tick tack toe or a similar game which eliminates thenecessity of pencils and paper. It will also be observed that thepresent invention provides a game device for playing tick tack toe orother game by merely turning an element having characters marked thereonto expose the particular character in an opening in the device. It willalso be observed that the game device of the present invention providesa compact, lightweight construction, adapted to be conveniently carriedin the pocket and one which may be economically manufactured.

While several forms of the construction have been herein illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that further changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of elements without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limitation in thisrespect the invention is defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. A game device comprising a plurality of spaced plates, means forsupporting said plates in generally parallel relationship, at least oneof said plates having a plurality of openings therein, a plurality ofspherical playing elements having smooth continuous surfaces andpositioned between said plates with each element projecting through oneof the openings in said one plate, the open ings in said one plate beingof a size relative to said spherical elements to cause the smoothcontinuous surface of each playing element to frictionally engage theplate at the edge of its respective opening to at all times retain theelements between said plates and in spaced relation to each other whilepermitting them to be turned manually in any direction in the openings,and each of said spherical elements having diiferent characters thereonarranged in a particular pattern whereby to adapt any of its differentcharacters to be exposed in the opening through which it projects bymanually turning it in any required direction in said opening.

2. A game device in accordance with claim 1 in which the characters arearranged in spaced relation in a row around the periphery of eachspherical playing element to provide spaces at either side of the rowwhereby to expose one of the diiferent characters or a blank space inthe opening in the plate when the spherical playing element is manuallyturned in any required direction relative to the plate.

3. A game device in accordance with claim 1 in which one of the platesis the bottom wall of a box-like casing having upright side walls, theother plate is a cover overlying and'attached to the upper edges of theside walls of the box-like casing, and the openings through which thespherical elements project are of circular form to frictionally contactthe smooth continuous surface of the spherical elements in a continuousline.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,087,797 Lowe Feb. 17, 1914 1,917,560 Timmons July 11, 1933 2,134,461Fusco Oct. 25, 1938 2,391,520 Smith Dec. 25, 1945 2,444,810 Creasy July6, 1948 2,483,878 Charest Oct. 4, 1949 2,529,713 Thurston Nov. 14, 19502,628,838 Smalley Feb. 17, 1953

